Reasons Why
by RandomImagination
Summary: Aoko finds out about Kid, forcing herself and Kaito to examine their motivations and find out what they really want in life. At the same time, they need to figure out what to do now. Twoshot.
1. Kaito

Just a little twoshot exploring Aoko and Kaito's thoughts and motivations. Only this one has dialogue. The next chapter should be up in a few days.

Disclaimer: I don't own. If I somehow get the rights to Magic Kaito, I promise to take up three pages of announcements telling you all about my good fortune.

Read and review.

* * *

"Why Kaito? Why did you do it? Why? You know I hate Kid, you know he takes my father away from me. So why?!"

Kaito hadn't pictured this encounter before. He'd thought about a lot of things that might happen, but not this. At least, not like this.

Kaito was a lot of things. A high school student. A magician. The son of the famous, deceased magician Kuroba Toichi. A kaitou.

Some of those things just happened because they did. He was a high school student because seventeen year olds were required to attend school.

Who his father was, that was something he had no control over as well. And it wasn't his fault that his father was dead, it was _their _fault. At the time, Kaito had been only eight. Too young to do anything to prevent it without getting killed himself, not that he'd had any idea his otousan would be murdered in the first place.

He was a magician because he wanted to be. It made him feel closer to his father for one thing. More than that, he loved the excitement of astounding people, pulling off some trick that they couldn't explain. It was so much fun, to be able to do things that other people couldn't, and to be able to make them happy by doing so. Plus, he was good at it.

Kaito just loved magic. Perhaps it was hereditary.

Why he'd become Kaitou Kid though, he wasn't sure anymore.

At first, when he'd found that secret room, he'd put on the costume out of curiosity, after hearing some snippets on that broken tape.

Once Jii had told him the whole story about his father's murder, he'd been doing it to catch the syndicate and make sure they were brought to justice. Also, he supposed, for revenge.

Kaito didn't like thinking about that one. In the past he'd scared himself when thinking about what he'd do if he ever got his hands on Snake. Kaito was afraid he might make an exception to his rule and kill him. Much as Snake deserved that, Kaito didn't want to stoop so low as to be a murderer.

He was actually mostly over that strong a hatred however. Snake had only tried to kill him three times, and nothing could bring his father back. Absolutely nothing. No matter how good a kaitou he became, the one thing he couldn't steal was a life, once it had been lost. Even the alleged "Phantom" Thief Kid couldn't defy death. His own death or that of others.

He enjoyed being such an enigma when he was Kid, and the fact that everyone acknowledged him. Kaito hadn't received any outright compliments in his life, so he'd had to start taken implied statements and things like the fact that he had his own taskforce and fan club as compliments.

It didn't feel good, being unappreciated and unnoticed.

So part of him did it to be noticed, and noticed only for what he'd made himself. Sure, Kaitou Kid was originally his father's reputation, but no one mentioned that much anymore. No one knew who Kid really was, so who he was under the monocle became what they wanted him to be.

People were more fascinated by things they didn't know the truth of, because that left limitless possibilities for people to imagine and dwell on. Teenage girls tended to be the most accurate, imagining someone under the age of twenty four that was young and handsome.

The police, on the other hand, usually thought he was forty or something.

But very few people actually knew what lay beneath that monocle and top hat. There was Jii, Akako, though Kaito had no clue how she knew. Of course she'd used her magic, and he didn't doubt for a second that it was real, unlike the illusions he employed.

Certainly there was his mother. There was absolutely no way that she didn't know, though she'd never mentioned it. Kaito believed his dad was a good enough person to not lie to his mom about something so drastic. He'd be somewhat appalled if his father had, but he knew there was no way. So it didn't matter.

The only thing that was relevant about that was that he hadn't told Aoko, the person who was closest to him out of everyone in the world. But that distance was growing, and he hated it. Kaito's only excuse was that he wasn't married to her. Despite the fact that he had heard his mother discussing something like the wedding plans on the phone, with a "Yukiko-chan".

Kaito honestly wasn't sure if he loved Aoko, but he knew she was one of the two most precious people to him in the entire world, and was definitely in the small circle of people Kaito knew who he truly cared for. The people whose death he would regret more than anything else.

Kaito thought he loved Aoko, and before he'd hoped that she could love him. Now, there was no way. She utterly despised Kid, for all he'd taken from her. It wouldn't happen.

He'd hoped that this would all end soon, and he'd be able to drag the police across _them, _but that hadn't happened yet. From the looks of it, that day wasn't coming, and the syndicate seemed bigger than he thought.

Kaito had been hoping that when this all ended, he'd be able to be open and honest with Aoko again, get as close to her as he used to be. Preferably even closer.

Now those hopes were obliterated. He hadn't planned on it, but Aoko had just found out tonight. Minutes ago, his future had changed. Chances were, she'd go tell her dad.

Once before he'd had to drug her on a train to pull off a heist. He didn't want to make her feel guilty handing him over to her father.

No, that was wishful thinking. Her hate for Kid would be reflected onto him now.

It was too much to hope for, and Kaito refused to hurt her again if at all possible. Maybe it was time to give up. He knew he shouldn't, that it would get him, and possibly Aoko, killed, but still. If it were her that caught him, his only regret was that she'd now hate him.

"Kaito, tell me already! Why!?" Aoko had asked, after an extremely long pause. Kaito had been tuned out, lost in thought. With her so impatient, he wondered whether she'd been thinking too, since she hadn't snapped him out of it before now.

Finally, Kaito gave a dejected response. "There are a lot of reasons. Why do you even care, you hate Kaitou Kid. You hate me." Bitter humor touched his voice; in fact Kaito was smiling with nostalgia and sadness. Smiling at the distant, vague idea of what might have been.

Unfortunately, this was reality. Might-have-been's didn't matter all that much here, except that it could either cheer someone up or make them feel even more depressed.

"You took my dad away from me. You know how miserable I was. I want to know if you really don't care if I'm in pain—"

"Aoko! That's not it! I don't want to see you hurting, I couldn't bear it!"

"Then why did you hurt me?! What reason justified it for you?! Tell me!" Aoko was crying now, with anger or with sadness. Kaito didn't know which, but it was probably anger. To her, this whole ordeal would seem like a betrayal.

Kaito hung his head. He would come clean, but he didn't think that would matter to her. "I'm trying to catch the people that killed my dad."

"What. . .?" Aoko asked, clearly shocked. The world thought Kuroba Toichi had died in an accident, so how did Kaito know different? And why hadn't he told her father, who was relatively high ranked in the police force?

"They murdered him, because he refused to steal something for him. You're smart enough to figure out that my dad was the first Kid, right?

"They murdered him and I didn't even know it until about a year ago."

"But, why didn't you tell anyone? Tell the police what you knew?" Aoko didn't understand. What would possess him to run around on rooftops, doing magic, and stealing and returning gems instead of just going to the police?

"The case was closed. Years ago. Besides," Kaito crooked a half-grin. "Otousan was the first Kaitou Kid, and he's dead. I don't want to tarnish his reputation, or spoil the enigma that was known to the world as Kaitou Kid. Plus, my mother could be arrested as an accomplice. I didn't want that.

"Also, to tell you the truth, I hadn't thought of it at the time. When I first put on the costume, I was confused. Then I was angry, when I found out the truth. This is my fight, but the syndicate is too dangerous. I didn't want any of the police to die, especially your dad."

"Too dangerous?"

"They'll kill anyone who stands in their way. I didn't want to put anyone else in danger. But also, I stole because it was fun. I enjoy the heists, outsmarting the cops, being chased by your father, facing Tantei-kun and Hakuba, and most of all, doing magic. Being the one who can shock the world, without them having any idea who I really am."

"Oh," said Aoko, looking to the side with a kind of dejected acceptance. He was surprised that she wasn't fuming mad. "Kaito, why didn't you trust me? We used to tell each other everything."

Now it was Kaito's turn to look down. He was ashamed of the distance that had formed between them, and he hated it. "I didn't want you to get hurt. And I was afraid that you'd hate me." Besides that, he'd thought she didn't deserve to have to lie to her father. She deserved better than knowing that her best friend was a liar and a thief. As they say, 'Ignorance is bliss'.

"Baka. I don't hate you."

"What? Really? You're not mad?" Kaito shone with new hope, hope he didn't think even Poker Face could conceal. Not that he'd bothered with it this time. Once Aoko had known, he'd seen no reason to hide from her.

Aoko, however, just glared at him. "Baka. I said I didn't hate you. I'm still angry with you."

Kaito sweatdropped uncomfortably and said, "I'm not sure I like the sound of that."

"Prepare to face the wrath of fish _every single day _for the next three months," said Aoko with an evil smirk. Kaito gulped and started to shy away from his friend.

They acted like what they really were, beneath masks and pretenses. Two teenagers who were childhood friends and loved making life hard for each other.

"Kaitou Kid! Get the hell down here!" yelled the voice of Nakamori-keibu from below, reminding the two of their situation.

"Took him long enough to realize I was gone," Kaito remarked with a laugh, earning himself a scowl from Aoko.

"Don't make fun of my dad!"

"Oi oi, I was just saying. No need to get upset. Besides, I respect all my opponents, no matter how much I make fun of them."

Aoko didn't believe him. It was obvious. "Oh really?"

Giving her his trademark manic grin, Kaito replied, "Yep! Now I suggest you think up some reason why you're up here, as your father's coming. Wouldn't want him thinking you're an accomplice, would we?" Kaito winked as he walked towards the roof.

"See you tomorrow Aoko! Ja ne!" Kaito dove of the roof into a freefall, feeling the wind supporting his glider, allowing him to fly back home. He didn't see what Aoko had done, but he knew she was smart enough to get off clean. Besides, her dad was in charge, and she'd always displayed a violent hatred of him up till now. There were plenty of excuses she could use.

Feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders, as he glided though the sky, Kaito tilted back his head and started laughing. A purely happy type of laughter filled with joy and relief.


	2. Aoko

You know, I didn't think that I'd be able to post this during my vacation. You people should be very, very happy that my research report was boring and monotonous.

So, as promised, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Feliz Navi Dad, Happy Kwanza, Happy New Years, Happy Winter Solstice. Happy Holidays.

Disclaimer: If I owned Magic Kaito, it wouldn't be on haitus.

* * *

"Get back here Kid! Return the gem!" shouted Aoko as she chased Kaitou Kid up the stairs, mop in hand. Really, she hadn't been planning this, but when he'd showed up and stolen the gem, somehow it had just felt natural. She'd picked up a mop and run after him almost out of instinct when he dashed by.

He was at the top of the stairs and was about to open the door to the roof when Aoko swung her mop at him. Out of surprise, it seemed, he lost his balance, and as he darted out onto the roof, he tripped and fell.

Aoko followed him out and was shocked by what she saw. Kaitou Kid had fallen to the floor, his tophat and monocle knocked off his head, revealing his face.

Aoko didn't want to believe what she saw. Surely it was another mask, another trick, to catch her off guard. But he looked so scared, so utterly defeated, that there was no way he could be faking. Her best friend was the Kaitou Kid.

"Why Kaito? Why did you do it? Why? You know I hate Kid, you know he takes my father away from me. So why?!" she asked in a panicky tone. Did he not care about her feelings so much that he'd willingly hurt her so badly?

Then again, did he even know the full extent he'd been hurting her by doing this? Aoko didn't want people to pity her or worry about her too much, so awhile ago she'd started only complaining about it mildly. She kept the rest of her hurt bottled up inside. She'd been able to sense the distance between herself and Kaito sometimes, and feeling unwanted was no fun.

Kid was supposed to be a master of reading people. Did that mean that Kaito knew about all that, and hadn't done anything to help her whatsoever. Ignored her and made the problem worse for her? What kind of best friend did that?

Aoko knew one thing. She hated Kid for what he had done to her. Also, did this mean that Kaito's father had been the first Kaitou Kid? Kuroba-san had been so nice, like an uncle to her.

But she should hate him too now that she knew the truth, right? It was so confusing. The world was supposed to be black and white, right? The police were good and thieves were bad. Even if they were kaitou. Even if they really were her best friend and her surrogate uncle behind the monocle. Right?

Her head hurt, it was so confusing. Aoko didn't know what to think anymore.

How long had he known about his father's night job? How long had she told him everything, while he kept his secrets and pretended to do so?

She knew Kaito had loved magic his for as long as she'd known him. His dad had taught him. But Kaito had always been honest, or so she thought.

Maybe it was him, that one time he'd never shown up when he promised to challenge Kid. There had been two kaitou, maybe one was him. Maybe that was when he'd found out.

Everyone was entitled to their secrets, but knowing when he'd started the ever-growing distance between them didn't make her feel any better. It gave her a bit of relief, perhaps, that they'd been as open as she'd thought for years, but it just made her feel worse. And even then, this was all just assuming that she was right. He could've known since before they met, and never told her.

The goaded the police, her father, and Hakuba-kun. Why did he do that? Did he honestly steal just because he thought it was fun? But that didn't seem right somehow.

What made this hurt all the more, was that she'd noticed something was off and dismissed it, afraid of being ridiculed. She'd only felt like that once or twice, but still. And she'd never thought it would be something as serious as this.

She'd had a tiny crush on Kaito. As boyish as she was, that was true. She didn't know if he felt the same, but they were comfortable. And he clearly had no reservations about seeing her underwear.

He owed her an explanation for all this. Didn't he?

Aoko decided she'd ask anyway. Get it over with. The worst he could do was refuse.

But that would be really bad. Right now, Aoko desperately wanted a reason not to hate her best friend.

"Kaito, tell me already! Why!?" Aoko yelled, barely managing to keep from sounding as if she was begging him. She'd been lost in thought, but it seemed like he was as well. Clearly this wasn't something he'd planned on either.

"There are a lot of reasons. Why do you even care, you hate Kaitou Kid. You hate me," Kaito finally replied, tone full of bitter humor, a sad, pained smile on his face. Aoko didn't know what he was smiling at, but he didn't seem happy with the situation. Still, saying she hated him. . .

She did hate Kaitou Kid. Before he'd just been an enigma that had hurt her by taking her father away from her. A thief that sabotaged the rich and stole gems. She wasn't sure if she thought the same of Kaito or not. He was her best friend and her worst enemy at the same time. In the end it would probably all come down to his reason.

Right then, the thing she wanted most in the world was to have a reason not to hate Kaito. If he didn't give her a reason, she would hate him. Be forced to hate her best friend.

"You took my dad away from me. You know how miserable I was. I want to know if you really don't care if I'm in pain—"

"Aoko! That's not it! I don't want to see you hurting, I couldn't bear it!"

"Then why did you hurt me?! What reason justified it for you?! Tell me!" Aoko could feel the hot tears running down her cheeks with desperation and anger. Was it true? As much as she wanted to believe otherwise, did he really not care?

Kaito hung his head dejectedly before answering in a way that said he didn't think she'd believe him. "I'm trying to catch the people that killed my dad."

"What. . .?" That made no sense. Kuroba-san had died in an accident performing his finale on stage. It had been an accident; due to the failed rigging of an overhead apparatus.

So why did Kaito think, _know _differently? Why was he so sure his dad had been murdered? And, was it true?

"They murdered him, because he refused to steal something for him. You're smart enough to figure out that my dad was the first Kid, right?

"They murdered him and I didn't even know it until about a year ago."

"But, why didn't you tell anyone? Tell the police what you knew?" It was stupid, why would he go running around roofs and stealing from people instead? How would his night job help him catch the criminals anyway.

Still, it was sad, not knowing the truth like that. Aoko had thought it was weird at the time, she'd never known Kuroba-san to mess up a magic trick. But she quickly dismissed that thought. After all, what could've happened?

"The case was closed. Years ago. Besides," Kaito crooked a half-grin. "Otousan was the first Kaitou Kid, and he's dead. I don't want to tarnish his reputation, or spoil the enigma that was known to the world as Kaitou Kid. Plus, my mother could be arrested as an accomplice. I didn't want that." It was true, his mother didn't deserve that. Also, sometimes it felt like certain things were supposed to stay a mystery. No one would be happy if they found out the reason Kaitou Kid had disappeared for eight years was that he was dead. The invincible phantom thief had been killed.

"Also, to tell you the truth, I hadn't thought of it at the time. When I first put on the costume, I was confused. Then I was angry, when I found out the truth. This is my fight, but the syndicate is too dangerous. I didn't want any of the police to die, especially your dad."

"Too dangerous?"

"They'll kill anyone who stands in their way. I didn't want to put anyone else in danger. But also, I stole because it was fun. I enjoy the heists, outsmarting the cops, being chased by your father, facing Tantei-kun and Hakuba, and most of all, doing magic. Being the one who can shock the world, without them having any idea who I really am."

That was one of the reasons he'd said he liked magic tricks so much, when she asked. Aoko had just been curious, but it was interesting to know. He said it was the awe people showed, their appreciation of another's expertise. To be able to do something no one else could do, that was hard to figure out. Something that made people happy.

Aoko believed him about that. She just hoped this was all true.

No, that was stupid. Kaito wasn't lying. She knew it. This was the truth.

"Oh," said Aoko. She wasn't mad. She just hurt for some reason, deep inside. But the girl didn't know why she hurt. Then she realized. It was the distance between her and her best friend that was hurting. "Kaito, why didn't you trust me? We used to tell each other everything."

Now it was Kaito's turn to look down. He looked ashamed. He regretted it. She wanted to be happy, but that would mean she was glad that he was hurting. Aoko was just glad that he cared. "I didn't want you to get hurt. And I was afraid that you'd hate me."

"Baka. I don't hate you."

"What? Really? You're not mad?" Kaito shone with new hope that he didn't bother hiding from her. Still, she couldn't help but wonder where in the world he'd gotten _that _idea.

They were childhood friends. She was entitled to get angry at him and hit him when he deserved it. Which he certainly did at the moment.

Aoko, just glared at him. "Baka. I said I didn't hate you. I'm still angry with you."

"I'm not sure I like the sound of that," Kaito remarked uncomfortably, beginning to look nervous.

"Prepare to face the wrath of fish _every single day _for the next three months,"

Suddenly, it didn't seem to matter that he was Kaitou Kid and she was the police inspector's daughter. They were best friends. It would stay that way because they cared about each other, and balanced each other out. He was there to show her that someone cared when her father was too busy, and she was there to knock some sense into him from time to time.

After all, that was how that kind of friendship worked.

"Kaitou Kid! Get the hell down here!" yelled her father from a few floors below, angry at the thief for managing to steal the gem.

"Took him long enough to realize I was gone," Kaito remarked with a laugh. Aoko scowled at him. Her father didn't deserve that, he'd tried his hardest. Catching a magician could be hard, he was being unfair.

"Don't make fun of my dad!" Aoko had never been one to keep quiet about her thoughts. She supposed she have to start now that she knew Kaito's secret. She'd never betray him. Not ever.

"Oi oi, I was just saying. No need to get upset. Besides, I respect all my opponents, no matter how much I make fun of them," he protested. It sounded convincing, but still, what kind of thief respected police and detectives, treating them like friends?

That was easy though. Kaitou Kid did. Kaito did. They were the same person, and no matter what mask he wore, Kaito was still Kaito.

Still, she had to protest, just out of the principle of the matter. "Oh really?"

Giving her his trademark manic grin, Kaito replied, "Yep! Now I suggest you think up some reason why you're up here, as your father's coming. Wouldn't want him thinking you're an accomplice, would we?" Kaito winked as he walked towards the roof.

Considering that withholding information about a wanted criminal technically made someone an accomplice, he had the right idea. True, her father would never suspect her, but now that she thought about it, Hakuba-kun was constantly accusing Kaito of being Kid. Did that mean he knew, but couldn't prove it? Either way, she wasn't sure she wanted him knowing that she knew. It would give him the proof he needed to arrest Kaito.

So she'd just have to keep anyone from finding out that she knew.

"See you tomorrow Aoko! Ja ne!" Kaito called to her as she jumped off the roof and flew into the night. Aoko smiled, taking a second to savor the experience, before running into the building. She'd been there before, she knew that there was a maintenance staircase she could use to get to the women's bathroom a few floors down. Completely away from the scene of the crime.

As she left, she looked over her shoulder and whispered, "Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow Kaito." Aoko hoped that Kaito had heard, her voice somehow carried on the breeze. Or at least knew her sentiments.

They were still best friends, she thought as she ran down the stairs. It would stay that way. She also wondered if Kaito would ever mature even a little bit from all this. But even if he didn't, she'd still like to go out with him. Somehow she knew that he'd agree.

All in all, it had been a good night.


End file.
